Mothers Day 2008

This weekend was a beautiful reminder of how good life can be. The celebrations began on Thursday night when our niece, Maggie, announced that she was finishing the semester with a 3.0 GPA. Maggie came to live with us this semester and has really applied herself to her studies. We are SO proud of her.On Friday the little boys and I celebrated the completion of our school year. They are now officially third and fourth graders. We went out to lunch and then they each chose a gift at Books-a-Million. Christian bought a Science Kit and Jordan chose a guitar pic necklace with a scripture on it. On Saturday night we celebrated the birth of Jon, 24 years ago. Everyone was here for dinner...Micah, Grandpa and Grandma, sisters, brother-in-laws, niece and nephew, etc. We had an apple-brandy marinated pork roast, squash, roasted rosemary potatoes, yeast rolls, brownies and Italian Cream Cheese Cake. We played board games, guitar, and looked through photo albums put together for me by Katie for Mothers Day. She scrapbooked three albums for me. They are wonderful! This morning I was woken by the boys with homemade cards (they know that's my favorite)and two special gifts, one for my house and one for the garden. Jon gave me a card with a picket fence on it ( in honor of the picket fence that is being installed this week:) and beautiful candles. Chelsea and Justin had made me a plate with each family member painted with something that symbolizes them, with their name. It is perfect. I am holding a ladle, Terry a guitar, Katie a paint can, etc. After church we all went to Katie and Tim's for a lunch of pasta al forno, garlic bread and cheesecake. It was all delicious. The phone rang and I was able to have a nice long chat with Brandon and Kristin in Italy. He shared the mornings sermon topic, told of having all their students over for dinner the night before, and singing "Happy First Mothers Day" to Kristin at a little bit after midnight:) Chelsea washed up and then after Grandpa and Grandma left to return to Henderson the girls and I all headed to the fabric store. Chelsea bought some fabric with poppies on it, Katie's favorite flower, and is making her and Maria matching Mother/daughter aprons. I bought fabric for a Thomas the Tank Engine shortall for Gabriel and fabric for three summer play dresses for Maria. I am also in the process of making some baby gowns for the new grandbaby due in October (Brandon and Kristin's first). The weekend was full of laughter, a few tears (as we remembered Chelsea and Justin's little one that is waiting for us in Heaven, but still made her a Mama),and a gratitude that is hard to put into words. I sometimes ask myself how we could be so blessed. I have to stop myself from thinking dire thoughts as to how life can change so rapidly in the blink of an eye, as if I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.But I know, that whatever happens in the future, just as difficult things have happened in the past, that God will still be God. He loves us and has blessed us with family and brothers and sisters in Christ to help us make it through this world and into the next.What a gift we have been given. What a Savior!

Busy Spring

It's been a while since I've posted last and I am resolved to do better with keeping friends and family up to date with the blessings in our lives. It may take a while but I will backtrack when necessary to get caught up. In the meantime I will write about our wonderful Easter weekend, after our perfect Florida vacation. We left last Sunday after worship and drove to my sister, Kathi's home in Birmingham. We enjoyed our time there so much. We walked over to Applebee's for dinner and took a walk aroung the lovely outdoor mall across from her home. The following morning we left to drive the remaining way to my sister Karen's home in Tallahassee. Our week was spent on an all day fishing trip out on Uncle David's boat (the boys caught 18 4-5 pound catfish)! They helped filet them and we brought many meals worth packed in ice in a cooler back home with us.We spent one day at Wakulla Springs and rode the river boat and ate at the Lodge. We spent several hours at the Tallahassee Museum where I went many times as a child, visiting the Pioneer village, and an old schoolhouse for African-American children--along with seeing many wild animals in the nature preserve. One day we visited the State Capital building, riding the elevator up to the 22 floor and seeing the city from up high. We ate at Harry's Bar and Grille and then visited the Museum of Arts and Sciences which the boys thoroughly enjoyed with all the many hands on learning areas. We shared an evening with Aunt Zula and Uncle Joe, and cousins...and visited the graves of grandparents, great- grandparents and great-great grandparents. The morning the boys went fishing I spent driving around taking pictures of our homes there, my parents home, etc. I hope to scrapbook some for the children so these times are not forgotten as our family is gradually drifting away from this area.The boys were able to visit Aunt Karen's classroom and play on her new "Smart Board". They thought that was pretty amazing! We arrived home Friday night, not five minutes before my house guests all arrived. Katie, Tim and children, Chelsea, Justin and my sister, Kathi, were all here for a weekend visit. Kathi left the following morning to drive on to Searcy, and everyone else is here until Monday. Jaime, my niece who now lives with us, arrived back on Saturday afternoon. We have dyed eggs, I finished sewing Maria's Easter dress, made a bunny cake, eaten fried catfish and hush puppies, played Scrabble and croquet, had an Easter egg hunt,attended worship together, munched on goodies in our baskets from the Easter Bunny, and eaten a huge meal and then leftovers. What a blessing it has all been.

Jordan's Big Day

It's hard to believe ten years have passed since this precious little child entered our lives. He is now a strong good-looking ten year old, with a kind heart and generous spirit. We have been so blessed. We spent the evening with family and several of his friends bowling (did I mention his strike followed by a spare under the tutelage of his Uncle Justin?)We then ate cake and celebrated with his niece Maria in honor of her 1st birthday. What a doll she is. She sue loves he Uncle Jordan!

Home Where I Belong

Our lives have settled back into a routine after all the busyness of returning from Italy and the holiday season. All the decorations are put away, and my rooms seem bare in comparison to the decor of the past month. My dear friend, Mona Lee, came and spent the night with me and I was able to visit and reconnect. I was excited to share a new book with her I had found overseas(The Gentle Art of Domesticity), but , of course, she had already ordered two from Amazon.com.uk! Our tastes are very similar. She has been a mentor to me over the years, as she was my first true friend who valued motherhood and lived her life accordingly. My time with her is very special to me. In the morning the boys and I start back to our Spring semester of schooling. They are ready for their routine to get back to normal also. I'm ready for days curled up by the fire reading aloud, and even for mornings with soup bubbling on the stove, and small boys sitting at the kitchen table coming up with every excuse possible as to why they can't write their thoughts on paper. I have much work ahead of me, but I am well rested and ready to begin.